Child Dedication

A Dedication Service is a ceremony in which parents thank God for the birth of a child and make promises about how as parents they will look after their new baby.

WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURES SAY?

Children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3 proclaims that “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” As believers we are called to recognize that children belong first and foremost to God. God in his goodness gives children as gifts to parents. They not only have the awesome responsibility of caring for this gift, but also the wonderful privilege of enjoying the gift.

In Luke 18:16 Jesus said, “ Let the little children come unto Me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” Because children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it is only proper and appropriate that children be dedicated back to God. In the service we entrust the child to God’s care for the future and pray for the parents, asking for God’s help in the sometimes daunting task of looking after their baby. We are told in 1 Samuel 1 that Hannah presented her son Samuel to the Lord. In Luke 2:22we read that Mary and Joseph brought their baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem in order to present him before the Lord

WHAT HAPPENS?

There is no water involved – this is not a christening and there is no suggestion that this ceremony makes the child a Christian. If appropriate, the parents can make promises that they will share their own faith with their son or daughter, but there is no expectation that non-Christians should have to make any such commitment. Dedication services normally happen as part of a normal morning service at TCF.